Fortenberry is indicted on charges of lying about campaign donations
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, the senior Republican on the House panel that oversees USDA funding, with three counts of concealing information and making false statements during an investigation of an illegal $30,000 campaign contribution, said the Justice Department on Tuesday. In a video recorded in his pickup truck, Fortenberry said, “We will fight these charges.”
USDA will seek improvements to salmonella controls
Pointing to the tens of thousands of salmonella illnesses linked to poultry products each year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Tuesday that the USDA would mobilize “a stronger and more comprehensive effort” to reduce the risk of the disease-causing bacteria in raw poultry meat. The process could include pilot projects that encourage “pre-harvest controls” on the farm, an area not directly under USDA jurisdiction.
Today’s Quick Hits
Vilsack to join picketers: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was scheduled to join striking Deere employees in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday, one of several political leaders who have showed support for the union workers. (KWWL-TV)
House Ag markup: Among the six bills the House Agriculture Committee will consider at a business meeting on Thursday will be legislation to provide additional funding for scholarships at historically Black land-grant colleges, said chairman David Scott. (House Agriculture)
Early purchases surge: U.S. farmers are buying seeds and ag chemicals earlier than usual in an attempt to circumvent supply chain slowdowns, said a top executive at agricultural and pharmaceutical giant Bayer. (Reuters)
